2025-26 Manitoba Bisons/CW Hockey

[Hollywood]

Preview: February 26, 2026: SEMI-FINALS WEEKEND, AND MORE BISON NEWS

Links:
➤ GoBisons: Jonny Hooker called up by AHL’s San Diego Gulls
➤ Elite Prospects: Jonny Hooker Player Page

After playing three games for the Tulsa Oilers of the ECHL, Bison Captain Jonny Hooker has been promoted to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. He was previously also a captain for the Prince George Cougars of the WHL.

Live Links:
➤ Video: CanadaWest TV
➤ Hockey Tech Game Centre: Friday ∞ Saturday ∞ Sunday

Other Links:
➤ USports: Men’s Hockey Page
➤ CW: Home Page ∞ Season Schedule
➤ CW: MHKY: Semifinal Preview
➤ CW Hockey Tech: Daily Schedule
➤ CW Hockey Tech: Stats ∞ Schedule/Results/Links

SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES (19-7-2, 2-0-0, 27-9-4, OHT35 #7)
U.B.C. THUNDERBIRDS (23-2-3, 27-3-4, OHT35 #1)

Links:
➤ UofS: Nolan Maier Named Canada West Player of gthe Week (Feb. 24, 2026) ∞ RP @ CW: CW BioSteel Players of the Week: Feb. 24
➤ Huskie Fan: Huskies and T-Birds meet in CW semi (with live audio link)
➤ UBC: Playoff redux as T-Birds host Huskies with berth in CW Final and redemption on the line
➤ CBC: YouTube Channel : Streaming Schedule

This could be the feature series of the weekend, nation-wide. The T-irds were eliminated by the Banjo-Mutts last year, in a series played in Saskatown. This year, the T-irds have home ice advantage due to finishing in first place in the conference. Will that make a difference? UBC was the best team in this year’s CW. However, Sask was expected to be. The teams faced each othjer on November 28-29. Sask won the first game, 3-2 in a shoot-out. UBC won the rematch 7-4.

For those without CWTV, the Friday game is to be streamed free of charge on CBC’s YouTube Channel (and presumably on Gem as well) and all three games can be heard at HuskieFan.ca.

CALGARY DINOSAURS (19-8-1, 2-0-0, 27-9-2, OHT35 #5)
MOUNT ROYAL COUGARS (20-6-2, 24-8-2, OHT35 #4)

Links:
➤ UofC: Team Website
➤ MRU: MHKY Semifinal Preview: Playoff edition of Crowchild Classic inbound as Cougars set to host Dinos
➤ Elite Prospects: Riley Sawchuk Player Page

The Bluegars had a so-so start, splitting their first six series of the season. However, they closed strong to get first place in the East Division. This included a sweep of UBC.

The Bedrock Boys surprised with their hot start before falling back a bit. They are IMO fully capable of winning this series. The Bluegars won the season series 4-2, including the feature game at the Saddledome - The Crowchild Classic.

I saw an Instagram post (now disappeared) stating that MRU grad Riley Sawchuk is the leading scorer with Lada Togliatti of the KHL. In 61 games he has 21 goals and 21 assists.

COMPLETE SCHEDULE

Fri Feb 27 Calgary at Mount Royal 7:00 MST/8:00 CST
Fri Feb 27 Saskatchewan at UBC 7:00 PST/9:00 CST * CBC
Sat Feb 28 Calgary at Mount Royal 7:00 MST/8:00 CST
Sat Feb 28 Saskatchewan at UBC 7:00 PST/9:00 CST
Sun Mar 1 Calgary at Mount Royal 7:00 MST/8:00 CST *if necessary
Sun Mar 1 Saskatchewan at UBC 7:00 PST/9:00 CST *if necessary

OUT EAST

Link:
➤ OUA: Hockey Tech Playoff Schedule/Results/Links

WINDSOR LANCERS 3
GUELPH GRYPHONS 2
(in overtime)
(Windsor wins series 2-0)

Link:
➤ OUA Hockey Tech: Summary

Guelph tied it up with a last minute goal to force overtime. However, the Lancers slayed their Mythical Mutants of an opponent to become the first team into the OUA final four.

Next Up:
Fri Feb 27 U.Q.T.R. at Ottawa 7:00 EST/6:00 CST
Fri Feb 27 Concordia at Queen’s 7:30 EST/6:30 CST
Sat Feb 28 Toronto Metropolitan at Brock 4:00 EST/3:00 CST
Sun Mar 01 Queen’s at Concordia 2:00 EST/1:00 CST *if necessary
Sun Mar 01 Brock at Toronto Metropolitan 6:15 EST/5:15 CST *if necessary
Sun Mar 01 Ottawa at U.Q.T.R. 7:00 EST/6:00 CST *if necessary

Link:
➤ AUS: Playoff Schedule/Results/Links

Semi-Final Schedule
Fri Feb 27 U.P.E.I. at New Brunswick 7:00 AST/5:00 CST
Fri Feb 27 Acadia at Moncton 7:00 AST/5:00 CST
Sat Feb 28 U.P.E.I. at New Brunswick 7:00 AST/5:00 CST
Sat Feb 28 Acadia at Moncton 7:00 AST/5:00 CST
Tue Mar 03 New Brunswick at U.P.E.I. 7:00 AST/5:00 CST
Tue Mar 03 Moncton at Acadia 7:00 AST/5:00 CST
Wed Mar 04 New Brunswick at U.P.E.I. 7:00 AST/5:00 CST *if necessary
Wed Mar 04 Moncton at Acadia 7:00 AST/5:00 CST *if necessary
Fri Mar 06 U.P.E.I. at New Brunswick 7:00 AST/5:00 CST *if necessary
Fri Mar 06 Acadia at Moncton 7:00 AST/5:00 CST *if necessary

OUT WEST

Link:
➤ ACAC: Schedule & Results

Quarter-Final Schedule
Fri Feb 27 Briercrest College at Portage College 2:00 MST/3:00 CST
Fri Feb 27 Concordia-Edmonton at NAIT 6:00 MST/7:00 CST
Sat Feb 28 Briercrest College at Portage College 7:00 MST/8:00 CST
Sat Feb 28 NAIT at Concordia-Edmonton 7:00 MST/8:00 CST
Sun Mar 1 Briercrest College at Portage College 1:00 MST/2:00 CST *if necessary
Sun Mar 1 Concordia-Edmonton at NAIT 6:30 MST/7:30 CST *if necessary

Fri Feb 27 Simon Fraser at Victoria 7:30 PST/9:30 CST
Fri Feb 27 Okanagan at Logan Lake 7:00 PST/9:00 CST
Sat Feb 28 Simon Fraser at Vancouver Island 7:15 PST/9:15 CST
Sat Feb 28 Logan Lake at Okanagan 5:30 PST/7:30 CST
* end of regular season

Non-Conference Games
Fri Feb 27 Simon Fraser (NCAA2) at Stonehill College 7:00 EST/6:00 CST
Sat Feb 28 Simon Fraser (NCAA2) at Stonehill College 7:00 EST/6:00 CST

Links:
➤ BCIHL: Schedule & Results
➤ BCIHL: YouTube Channel

[Hollywood]

​

February 27, 2026: MRU & SASK ON TRACK FOR FINALS, OUA GETS TWO MORE SWEEPS

CALGARY DINOSAURS 2
MOUNT ROYAL COUGARS 6
(MRU leads series 1-0)

Links:
➤ Summary: Game Centre
➤ UofC: Kydd, Stankowski, Pakkala all earn postseason honours
➤ UofC: Dinos stumble in Game 1 of CW semifinal (with boxscore)
➤ MRU: HKY: 7 Cougars named to Canada West All Star and All Rookie teams
➤ MRU: MHKY Semifinal Preview: Playoff edition of Crowchild Classic inbound as Cougars set to host Dinos
➤ MRU: MHKY: Cougars dominate Dinos to take game one of semifinal (with boxscore)

Quick Summary
Calg: J. Poole (15:15 1st) , S. Strange (18:52 2nd)
MRU: T. Komzak (05:29 1st) , M. Ladyman (16:39 1st) , B. Stevenson (01:17 2nd) , T. Patton (09:12 2nd) , V. Watterodt (17:24 3rd) , J. Tarzwell (19:21 3rd)
Goal: Calg: Tetachuk (27 shots, 23 saves), MRU: Farkas (24 shots, 22 saves)

The Bluegars came out strong from the opening faceoff and looked like they could run the Dinos out of the rink. In the 1st period the shots were 13-5 but the score was just 2-1 for MRU. The Bluegars built up a 4-1 lead in the 2nd period, but Bedrock U would not give up. The scoreline is a bit misleading because MRU had two empty-net goals at the end of the 3rd.

Also, this game was a sell-out, albeit at the tiny Flames Community Arena which only holds 500 people.

SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES 3
U.B.C. THUNDERBIRDS 2
(Sask leads series 1-0)

Links:
➤ Summary: Game Centre
➤ UofS: Huskies Hold Off T-Bird Rally to Take Game One of Canada West Semifinal (with boxscore)
➤ Huskie Fan: Huskies and T-Birds meet in CW semi
➤ UBC: Huskies hold off furious T-Bird rally to take game one of CW semifinal (with boxscore and video)
➤ CW: HKY: CW unveils Hockey All-Star and All-Rookie Teams RP @ UBC RP @ Sask

Quick Summary
Sask: C. Roulette (12:54 2nd) , C. Roulette (02:15 3rd) , E. Regnier (07:54 3rd)
UBC: C. Douglas (09:49 3rd) , S. Atkinson (16:37 3rd)
Goal: Sask: Maier (33 shots, 31 saves), UBC: Mirwald (22 shots, 19 saves)

This was a really good game. It started at the same time as the Jets v Ducks game, so it was my second game. The Banjo-Mutts built a 3-0 lead but two goals in the last half of the 3rd period made for a tense ending. I expect that every game in this series will be tight, and no result would surprise me.

NEXT UP

Sat Feb 28 Calgary at Mount Royal 7:00 MST/8:00 CST
Sat Feb 28 Saskatchewan at UBC 7:00 PST/9:00 CST
Sun Mar 1 Calgary at Mount Royal 7:00 MST/8:00 CST *if necessary
Sun Mar 1 Saskatchewan at UBC 7:00 PST/9:00 CST *if necessary

OUT EAST

Link:
➤ OUA: Hockey Tech Playoff Schedule/Results/Links

U.Q.T.R. PATRIOTES 5
OTTAWA GEEGEES 1
(UQTR wins series 2-0)

Link:
➤ OUA Hockey Tech: Summary

Last year, the Gee Gees were a surprise national champ as host team. This was no surprise to me. UQTR is the perennial powerhouse in the OUA.

CONCORDIA STINGERS 1
QUEEN’S GOLDEN GAELS 2
(Queen’s wins series 2-0)

Link:
➤ OUA Hockey Tech: Summary

With series wins over McGill and now Concordia, Queen’s can go for the Quebec Triple Crown in the OUA East final against UQTR. That seemed highly unlikely a couple of weeks ago. This means that all three OUA series in which two games have been played were sweeps.

Next Up:
Sat Feb 28 Toronto Metropolitan at Brock 4:00 EST/3:00 CST
Sun Mar 01 Brock at Toronto Metropolitan 6:15 EST/5:15 CST *if necessary

Link:
➤ AUS: Playoff Schedule/Results/Links

U.P.E.I. PANTHERS 1
NEW BRUNSWICK REDS 4
(UNB leads series 1-0)

Link:
➤ AUS: Boxscore with Game Report

Looks like a bit of a yawner, by the stats at least. The Squirrels are coasting now. I can now make my annual rant against the AUS playing a best-of-five semi-final round. Five games in 8 days is absolutely ridiculous for student athletes.

ACADIA AXEMEN 1
MONCTON AIGLES BLEUS 3

Link:
➤ AUS: Boxscore with Game Report

The Cajuns outshot the Eggs 27-19, so a potential reversal in game 2 is a possibility.

Next Up:
Sat Feb 28 U.P.E.I. at New Brunswick 7:00 AST/5:00 CST
Sat Feb 28 Acadia at Moncton 7:00 AST/5:00 CST
Tue Mar 03 New Brunswick at U.P.E.I. 7:00 AST/5:00 CST
Tue Mar 03 Moncton at Acadia 7:00 AST/5:00 CST
Wed Mar 04 New Brunswick at U.P.E.I. 7:00 AST/5:00 CST *if necessary
Wed Mar 04 Moncton at Acadia 7:00 AST/5:00 CST *if necessary
Fri Mar 06 U.P.E.I. at New Brunswick 7:00 AST/5:00 CST *if necessary
Fri Mar 06 Acadia at Moncton 7:00 AST/5:00 CST *if necessary

OUT WEST

Link:
➤ ACAC: Schedule & Results

CONCORDIA-EDMONTON THUNDER 2
N.A.I.T. OOKS 3
(in overtime)
(NAIT leads series 1-0)

Link:
➤ ACAC: Boxscore

This is the ACAC’s version of the Battle of Edmontown. NAIT was in the big pile of five teams (after Red Deer Poly and SAIT) until they had a late-season surge to be comfortable in 3rd place. The goaltenders must have been sharp. The shots were 38-35 favouring the Ooks.

BRIERCREST CLIPPERS 9
PORTAGE VOYAGEURS 1
(Briercrest leads series 1-0)

Link:
➤ ACAC: Boxscore

This series should be a toss-up, so the margin shocks me. The Voyageurs held a 17-6 lead on the shot clock after one period, yet trailed 1-0. Then it was all Briercrest. They scored five goals in the 2nd period and the route was on. These teams were at one time the doormats of the ACAC. Briercrest turned around their program a few years ago, and this is Portage’s first playoff series in a long time. It would be nice if it were to go three games.

Fri Feb 27 Simon Fraser 1 Victoria 4
Fri Feb 27 Okanagan 4 Logan Lake 3
Sat Feb 28 Simon Fraser at Vancouver Island 7:15 PST
Sat Feb 28 Logan Lake at Okanagan 5:30 PST
(end of regular season)

Non-Conference Games
Fri Feb 27 Simon Fraser (NCAA2) 3 Stonehill College 9
Sat Feb 28 Simon Fraser (NCAA2) at Stonehill College 7:00 EST/6:00 CST

Links:
➤ BCIHL: Schedule & Results : YouTube

BCIHL NEWS

Simon Fraser is in the news on two fronts. The good news … they are hosting the BCIHL championship tournament starting March 5th. The bad news … their touring independent NCAA2 team is folding due to the request by the school to enter the CW, and the decision of school admins to ditch the team. Here’s a quote from the announcement by the Burnaby Mountain Hockey Alumni Society, which sponsored the independent team project:

Quote

As a club, 100% of the SFU Hockey operating budget is funded independent of institutional funding. …

When SFU announced it would depart the NCAA and pursue USports membership in November, we submitted a proposal that men’s and women’s hockey be included in SFU’s Canada West application, having already proven the Non-Conference team’s ability to compete against USports opponents. Unfortunately the university did not accept our proposal, and following this decision our student-athletes and coaching staff have begun to pursue opportunities at other NCAA and USports programs.

So it seems that this group was willing to fund a run for inclusion in the NCAA, but not to fund a run for USports. It is hard to tell exactly what the admins at SFU are trying to do, having first left USports for the NCAA, then folding their football program, and then apparently abandoning a team in progress.

The BCIHL will once again be using a tournament format for their championship. It is 5-team modified page system similar to that used in the Brier and other curling events. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th place teams have to walk through unbeaten, whereas the 1st and 2nd place teams have two lives to reach the sudden-death final.

Links:
➤ BCIHL: Schedule & Results : YouTube
➤ SFU: SFU Hockey Update on the Non-Conference Team
➤ BCIHL: 18th BCIHL Championship Kicks off in New Westminster on March 5th

​

[Hollywood]

February 28, 2026: BANJO-MUTTS ADVANCE TO FINAL, COWTOWN GOES DOWN TO THE WIRE

MOUNT ROYAL COUGARS 1
CALGARY DINOSAURS 2
(Series tied 1-1)

Links:
➤ Summary: Game Centre
➤ UofC: Dinos respond with Game 2 victory over Cougars (with boxscore)
➤ MRU: MHKY: Dinos shutdown Cougars to extend series to game three (with boxscore & video)

Quick Summary
Calg: G. Schmidt (11:00 1st) , R. Gannon (16:34 2nd)
MRU: J. Lies (09:00 2nd)
Goal: Calg: Stankowski (29 shots, 28 saves), MRU: Farkas (18 shots, 16 saves)

This was an extremely defensive game throughout, and especially by the Dinos once they had the lead. They had only 5 shots on goal in each of the last two periods. Bluegar all-star Connor Bouchard was cut and bleeding in the 2nd period. He did return but had to wear a replacement jersey due to blood stains. This game was also a sell-out. Too bad they were unable or unwilling to book the Winsport Arena.

U.B.C. THUNDERBIRDS 1
SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES 4
(Sask wins series 2-0)

Links:
➤ Summary: Game Centre
➤ UofS: Huskies Sweep T-Birds to Advance to Second Straight CW Final (with boxscore)
➤ Huskie Fan: Men’s Hockey Page
➤ UBC: Team Website

Quick Summary
Sask: R. Pelletier (02:42 2nd) , D. Holt (09:22 2nd) , L. Kosior (11:01 3rd) , E. Regnier (19:16 3rd)
UBC: N. Sullivan (01:56 1st)
Goal: Sask: Maier (27 shots, 26 saves), UBC: Mirwald (19 shots, 16 saves)

This, too, was a very defensive game. The T-irds came out strong, outshooting the Mutts 12-4 and takinmg a 1-0 lead after one period. But the Mutts gradually took control, so much so that UBC had just 6 shots in a 3rd period where they were trailing and their season was on the line. Sask had two powerplay goals, and an empty-netter.

This means that next weekend, the Mutts will either host Calgary, or visit MRU, in the conference final.

NEXT UP

Sun Mar 01 Calgary at Mount Royal 7:00 MST/8:00 CST
Fri Mar 06 Saskatchewan v Calgary/M.R.U. winner, times TBA

OUT EAST

Link:
➤ OUA: Hockey Tech Playoff Schedule/Results/Links

TORONTO METROPOLITAN BOLD 2
BROCK BADGERS 3
(Series tied 1-1)

Link:
➤ OUA Hockey Tech: Summary

Like Queen’s, Brock is a team on the late season ascent. Game three goes Sunday night, and Windsor hosts the winner.

Next Up:
Sun Mar 01 Brock at Toronto Metropolitan 6:15 EST/5:15 CST
TBD Queen’s at U.Q.T.R.
TBD Brock/T.M.U. winner at Windsor

Link:
➤ AUS: Playoff Schedule/Results/Links

U.P.E.I. PANTHERS 2
NEW BRUNSWICK REDS 7
(UNB leads series 2-0)

Link:
➤ AUS: Boxscore with Game Report

Too bad this series isn’t over!

ACADIA AXEMEN 2
MONCTON AIGLES BLEUS 5

Link:
➤ AUS: Boxscore with Game Report

The Cajuns outshot the Eggs 26-12 through two periods, then ran out of gas in the 3rd. They needed some goals, but managed just 5 shots in the entire period.

Next Up:
Tue Mar 03 New Brunswick at U.P.E.I. 7:00 AST/5:00 CST
Tue Mar 03 Moncton at Acadia 7:00 AST/5:00 CST
Wed Mar 04 New Brunswick at U.P.E.I. 7:00 AST/5:00 CST *if necessary
Wed Mar 04 Moncton at Acadia 7:00 AST/5:00 CST *if necessary
Fri Mar 06 U.P.E.I. at New Brunswick 7:00 AST/5:00 CST *if necessary
Fri Mar 06 Acadia at Moncton 7:00 AST/5:00 CST *if necessary

OUT WEST

Link:
➤ ACAC: Schedule & Results

N.A.I.T. OOKS 5
CONCORDIA-EDMONTON THUNDER 3
(NAIT wins series 2-0)

Link:
➤ ACAC: Boxscore

The Ooks are used to dominating the ACAC, so their rally into a 3rd place finish and a quarter-final win seems “normal” to outside observers. They will now fac ethe SAIT Trojans in the semi-finals.

PORTAGE VOYAGEURS 2
BRIERCREST CLIPPERS 1
(Series tied 1-1)

Link:
➤ ACAC: Boxscore

This is what I expected. A dead even game, with shots 31-31. What a difference a day makes.

Next Up:
Sun Mar 01 Briercrest College at Portage College 1:00 MST/2:00 CST
Fri Mar 06 Briercrest/Portage winner at Red Deer Poly TBA
Fri Mar 06 N.A.I.T. at S.A.I.T. TBA

Sat Feb 28 Simon Fraser 0 Vancouver Island 10
Sat Feb 28 Logan Lake 4 Okanagan 3
(end of regular season)

Non-Conference Games
Sat Feb 28 Simon Fraser (NCAA2) 2 Stonehill College 5
Thu Mar 05 Simon Fraser (NCAA2) at Michigan

Conference Playoffs
Thu Mar 05 Game 1 - Simon Fraser v Okanagan 12:15 PST/2:15 CST
Fri Mar 06 Game 2 - Vancouver Island v Victoria 11:30am PST/1:30 CS T
Fri Mar 06 Game 3 - Winner of Game 1 v Logan Lake 3:00 PST/5:00 CST
Sat Mar 07 Game 4 - Loser of Game 2 vs Winner of Game 3 3:00 PST/5:00 CST
Sun Mar 08 Game 5 - Winner of Game 2 vs Winner of Game 4 3:00 PST/5:00 CST

Links:
➤ BCIHL: Schedule & Results : YouTube

[Hollywood]

March 1, 2026: BLUEGARS ADVANCE

CALGARY DINOSAURS 1
MOUNT ROYAL COUGARS 2
(MRU wins series 2-1)

Links:
➤ Summary: Game Centre
➤ UofC: Team Website
➤ MRU: Team Website

Quick Summary
Calg: P. Bocharov (13:10 1st)
MRU: J. Lies (08:15 2nd) , J. Wiens (05:24 3rd)
Goal: Calg: Tetachuk (38 shots, 36 saves), MRU: Farkas (19 shots, 18 saves)

This was a real nip-and-tuck battle, but the Bluegars controlled the play throughout. The Dinos took the lead with the only goal of the 1st period. That one was contrary to the flow of play. The Bluegars did control the 2nd and 3rd periods by wide margins (shots of 12-4 and 11-6 respectively), but their only two goals were on the powerplay (2-for-6 on the night). While the Dinos were capable of an upset in this series, it was pretty clear that the Bluegars were a level above.

Now Mount Royal will host their first ever CW Championship Series against Saskatchewan. Of note, in the regular season the Bluegars swept UBC, Calgary, and Saskatchewan the last time they played each of them.

SUNDAY MORNING LINKS

While the UofS website uploaded a game story on Saturday night, Huskie Fan and UBC both waited until the wee hours of Sunday morning. So here are the links now.

Links:
➤ Huskie Fan: Huskies silence T-birds to punch Canada West final ticket
➤ UBC: Huskies sweep T-Birds in semifinal, ending historic season (with boxscore & video)

NEXT UP

Fri Mar 06 Saskatchewan at Mount Royal TBA

WOMEN’S SPECIAL REPORT

MANITOBA BISONS 6
MOUNT ROYAL COUGARS 1
(Manitoba wins series 2-1)

Links:
➤ Summary: Game Centre
➤ GoBisons.ca: Women’s hockey book trip to nationals with 6-1 win over Mount Royal in CanWest semis (with boxscore)
➤ MRU: WHKY: Cougars fall to Bisons in game three, eliminated from playoffs : RP @cw: Bisons charge into CW Final with 6-1 win over MRU (with boxscore)

Quick Summary
Man: J. Bird (05:22 1st) , K. Huibers (13:18 1st) , S. Heidinger (17:12 2nd) , N. Collins (18:10 3rd) , J. Haner (18:36 3rd) , D. Goertzen (19:48 3rd)
MRU: S. Fomradas (14:38 3rd)
Goal: Man: Shippam (18 shots, 17 saves), MRU: Anderson (26 shots, 21 saves)

This is a surprise victory for the Bison Broads! They started the season 1-7-4 and nobody was thinking playoffs. They squeaked in, and last weekend travelled to Edmontown where they beat the Fat Pandas. This weekend, it was off to Cowtown to beat the Bluegars. They opened with a 2-1 loss, followed by a 3-1 win. This one was closer than the scoreboard would suggest. With a 3-1 lead, they registered a late empty-netter to make it 4-1 then added a couple more for good measure. The defence was the story here, as they allowed just 52 shots in 3 games.

MRU has been nationally ranked all year, and only UBC finished ahead of them. Can the Bison Broads waltz into British California and win another series on the road? Either way, they have secured a berth in the nationals.

Also, in volleyball news, both Manitoba squads were off to British California and both series went to a 3rd and deciding match. The women’s team (defending national champs) lost to Thompson Rivers, and are eliminated. The men’s team beat UBC-Okanagan, thus qualifying for the CW Final Four Tournament next weekend. Of note UBCO won on Friday and led 2 sets to none on Saturday. The Bisons came storming back to win 3-straight sets and force today’s decider, which they won 3-1. BTW, Winnipeg lost to Alberta in two straight. UBC and Holy Trinity also qualified for the Final Four.

OUT EAST

Link:
➤ OUA: Hockey Tech Playoff Schedule/Results/Links

BROCK BADGERS 1
TORONTO METROPOLITAN BOLD 2
(TMU wins series 2-1)

Link:
➤ OUA Hockey Tech: Summary

Brock’s surprising run turned into a pumpkin on Sunday. They outshot The Bald 32-20, but were trailing for most of it. They were down 2-0 12 minutes into the 3rd before they finally scored. So, in the end, the OUA West final will be between the top two teams from the regular season, with TMU at Windsor likely on Wednesday. In any event, three of the four survivors will qualify for the U-Cup.

Next Up:
TBD Queen’s at U.Q.T.R.
TBD Toronto Metropolitan at Windsor

OUT WEST

Link:
➤ ACAC: Schedule & Results

BRIERCREST CLIPPERS 3
PORTAGE VOYAGEURS 7
(Portage wins series 2-1)

Link:
➤ ACAC: Boxscore

With all the marbles on the line in this game three, they said “screw defence” and shots were 49-47 in favour of Portage. Briercrest led 2-1 after the 1st, and Portage led 4-3 after the 2nd. Portage has got to be everybody’s favourite underdog. They have not played in the playoffs since 2014 (a 3-game loss to Augustana) and in 2020 went 0-26-2. They have never had a winning record since the program started in 2008-09. Lac La Biche must be a happy town! I looked up the facilities. Their hockey arena holds 1,000 fans. It sounds great for a small place which covers college and community uses.

The Lac La Biche, Bold Center is home to the Portage College Voyageur Hockey, Curling, Soccer & Futsal Teams. The Bold Center is a 250,000 Sq foot Recreation Facility built by the County. The facility includes a twin ice arena, curling rink, two indoor field houses, running track, fitness & wellness center plus much more. The Bold Center’s outdoor facilites include a natural grass soccer pitch, a 400 m track with an artificial turf football & soccer pitch infield, three baseball diamonds and outdoor tennis and basketball courts.

Next Up:
Fri Mar 06 Portage College at Red Deer Poly TBA
Fri Mar 06 N.A.I.T. at S.A.I.T. TBA

[Hollywood]

March 4, 2026: NEWS UPDATE, AUS FINAL SET

There is a pre-preview because the OUA division final begins tonight, and the AUS finished their semi-final round on a Tuesday. The regular preview is tomorrow for the CW, ACAC, and BCIHL.

Captain Jonny Hooker turned pro with the Tulsa Oilers (ECHL) and was briefly loaned to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. He’s back in Tulsa and scored his first two professional goals in a 2-0 win.

Link:
➤ Instagram: Video

OUT EAST

Link:
➤ OUA: Hockey Tech Playoff Schedule/Results/Links

Wed Mar 04 U.Q.T.R. at Queen’s 7:30 EST/6:30 CST
Thu Mar 05 Windsor at Toronto Metropolitan 6:15 EST/5:15 CST
Sat Mar 07 Queen’s at U.Q.T.R. 7:00 EST/6:00 CST
Sat Mar 07 Toronto Metropolitan at Windsor 7:30 EST/6:30 CST
Sun Mar 08 Toronto Metropolitan at Windsor 4:00 EDT/3:00 CDT *if necessary
Sun Mar 08 Queen’s at U.Q.T.R. 7:00 EDT/6:00 CDT *if necessary

Link:
➤ AUS: Playoff Schedule/Results/Links

NEW BRUNSWICK REDS 2
U.P.E.I. PANTHERS 1
(in overtime)
(UNB wins series 3-0)

Link:
➤ AUS: Boxscore with Game Report

While this was a sweep, at least UPEI went down with a fight. The stats look to be pretty even.

MONCTON AIGLES BLEUS 3
ACADIA AXEMEN 1
(Moncton wins series 3-0)

Link:
➤ AUS: Boxscore with Game Report

The Rajin Cajuns kinda fell apart this year. They looked to be a good bet to be at the nationals, yet here they are with 3-straight losses.

Next up:

Sun Mar 08 Moncton at New Brunswick 4:00 ADT/2:00 CDT
Tue Mar 10 New Brunswick at Moncton 7:00 ADT/5:00 CDT
Thu Mar 12 Moncton at New Brunswick 7:00 ADT/5:00 CDT *if necessary

[Hollywood]

Preview: March 6-8, 2026: SASK at M.R.U. THE REMATCH: REPLAY OR REVENGE?

SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES (19-7-2, 4-0-0, 29-9-4, OHT35 #7)
MOUNT ROYAL COUGARS (20-6-2, 2-1-0, 26-9-2, OHT35 #4)

Live Links:
➤ Video: CanadaWest TV
➤ Hockey Tech Game Centre: Friday ∞ Saturday ∞ Sunday

Other Links:
➤ UofC (Sunday late): Dinos’ season ends in hard-fought Game 3 (with boxscore)
➤ MRU (Sunday late): MHKY: Cougars fight past Dinos to advance to the Canada West championship (with boxscore) ∞ RP @ CWUAA
➤ MRU: Players Bench Athletes of the Week: Feb. 24- Mar. 2
➤ Huskie Fan: A Huskie-Cougar CW title rematch (with audio)
➤ UofS: Gulutzan goes from College of Education to Stanley Cup expectations
➤ CW: Huskies sweep T-Birds to advance to second straight CW Final
➤ CW: CW BioSteel Players of the Week: March 3
➤ CW: MHKY Final Preview: Huskies, Cougars set for championship rematch
➤ USports: Men’s Hockey Page ∞ Top 10
➤ CW: Home Page ∞ Playoff Schedule
➤ CW Hockey Tech: Daily Schedule
➤ CW Hockey Tech: Stats ∞ Schedule/Results/Links

Prior Meetings:
➤ Oct 3/25: MRU 2 Sask 3
➤ Oct 4/25: MRU 6 Sask 2
➤ Jan 16/26: Sask 4 MRU 5
➤ Jan 17/26: Sask 5 MRU 3
➤ Feb 13/26: Sask 2 MRU 3
➤ Feb 14/26: Sask 4 MRU 6

The Bluegars started the season splitting every series, but then steamrolled everybody. They swept their final series against UBC, Calgary, and Sask. Although they dominated Calgary in the semi-finals, it took three games and it was very close all along. Closer than it should have been, perhaps.

The Banjo-Mutts were pre-season favourites who never really got on a roll. They were very consistent all year, and may be peaking now. They dominated the Evil Monkeys in the quarter-finals then handled UBC fairly handily in the semi-finals. I would say that their 4-straight playoff wins are more impressive than MRU’s series win over Calgary.

Less than a month ago, the Bluegars swept the Mutts in a series to decide first place.

None of these games are slated for coverage on the CBC streaming options.

COMPLETE SCHEDULE

Fri Mar 06 Saskatchewan at Mount Royal 7:00 MST/6:00 CST
Sat Mar 07 Saskatchewan at Mount Royal 7:00 MST/6:00 CST
Sun Mar 08 Saskatchewan at Mount Royal 7:00 MDT/6:00 CDT *if necessary

OUT EAST

Link:
➤ OUA Hockey Tech Playoff Schedule

Sat Mar 07 Queen’s at U.Q.T.R. 7:00 EST/6:00 CST
Sat Mar 07 Toronto Metropolitan at Windsor 7:30 EST/6:30 CST
Sun Mar 08 Toronto Metropolitan at Windsor 4:00 EDT/3:00 CDT *if necessary
Sun Mar 08 Queen’s at U.Q.T.R. 7:00 EDT/6:00 CDT *if necessary

Link:
➤ AUS Playoff Schedule

Sun Mar 08 Moncton at New Brunswick 4:00 ADT/2:00 CDT
Tue Mar 10 New Brunswick at Moncton 7:00 ADT/5:00 CDT
Thu Mar 12 Moncton at New Brunswick 7:00 ADT/5:00 CDT *if necessary

OUT WEST

Link:
➤ ACAC Schedule

Fri Mar 06 N.A.I.T. at S.A.I.T. 6:45 MST/7:45 CST
Fri Mar 06 Portage College at Red Deer Poly 7:00 MST/8:00 CST
Sat Mar 07 N.A.I.T. at S.A.I.T. 6:00 MST/7:00 CST
Sat Mar 07 Portage College at Red Deer Poly 8:00 MST/9:00 CST
Sun Mar 08 Portage College at Red Deer Poly 5:00 MDT/6:00 CDT *if necessary
Sun Mar 08 N.A.I.T. at S.A.I.T. 7:15 MDT/8:15 CDT *if necessary

Link:
➤ BCIHL Schedule

Thu Mar 05 Game 1 - Simon Fraser v Okanagan 12:15 PST/2:15 CST
Fri Mar 06 Game 2 - Vancouver Island v Victoria 11:30am PST/1:30 CS T
Fri Mar 06 Game 3 - Winner of Game 1 v Logan Lake 3:00 PST/5:00 CST
Sat Mar 07 Game 4 - Loser of Game 2 vs Winner of Game 3 3:00 PST/5:00 CST
Sun Mar 08 Game 5 - Winner of Game 2 vs Winner of Game 4 3:00 PDT/5:00 CDT

Non-Conference Games
Thu Mar 05 Simon Fraser (NCAA2) at Michigan 7:00 EST/6:00 CST

[Hollywood]

March 4-5, 2026: OUT-OF-TOWN SCOREBOARD

Link:
➤ OUA: Hockey Tech Playoff Schedule/Results/Links

U.Q.T.R. PATRIOTES 3
QUEEN’S GOLDEN GAELS 5
(Queen’s leads series 1-0)

Link:
➤ OUA Hockey Tech: Summary

This one was played on Wednesday, hosted by Queen’s. UQTR gets the next two games at home. Queen’s has beaten McGill and Concordia, so they’re going for the Quebec hat-trick here.

WINDSOR LANCERS 2
TORONTO METROPOLITAN BOLD 1
(in double overtime)
(Windsor leads series 1-0)

Link:
➤ OUA Hockey Tech: Summary

This was a bit of a marathon at the former Maple Leaf Gardens. Windsor gets to host the rest of the series. Oddly, there are no Friday night games this weekend in the OUA.

Next Up:
Sat Mar 07 Queen’s at U.Q.T.R. 7:00 EST/6:00 CST
Sat Mar 07 Toronto Metropolitan at Windsor 7:30 EST/6:30 CST
Sun Mar 08 Toronto Metropolitan at Windsor 4:00 EDT/3:00 CDT *if necessary
Sun Mar 08 Queen’s at U.Q.T.R. 7:00 EDT/6:00 CDT *if necessary

Link:
➤ BCIHL Schedule

SIMON FRASER RED LEAFS 6
OKANAGAN LAKERS 2
(SFU advance to quarter-finals, Okanagan eliminated)

Link:
➤ BCIHL: Boxscore

The Lakers outshot SFU 45-22 yet lost by lots. They had a bit of a tailspin this year.

Next Up:
Fri Mar 06 Game 2 - Vancouver Island v Victoria 11:30am PST/1:30 CS T
Fri Mar 06 Game 3 - Simon Fraser v Logan Lake 3:00 PST/5:00 CST
Sat Mar 07 Game 4 - Loser of Game 2 vs Winner of Game 3 3:00 PST/5:00 CST
Sun Mar 08 Game 5 - Winner of Game 2 vs Winner of Game 4 3:00 PDT/5:00 CDT

Non-Conference Games
Thu Mar 05 Simon Fraser (NCAA2) 1 Michigan 8

This likely brings to an end the SFU experiment with independent scheduling. Personally, I’d like to see the team revived in a usual CWUAA format some time in the future. BTW, Michigan is currently #1 in NCAA rankings.

[Hollywood]

March 6, 2026: BANJO-MUTTS WIN THE OPENER

SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES 5
MOUNT ROYAL COUGARS 0
(Sask leads series 1-0)

Links:
➤ Summary: Game Centre
➤ CW: MHKY: Sasha Mutala named Canada West Player of the Year
➤ UofS: Petruic’s Hattrick, Maier’s Shutout Lead Huskies to Canada West Finals Game One Win (with boxscore)
➤ Huskie Fan: Petruic has hat trick, Maier gets shutout
➤ MRU: MHKY: Huskies roll over Cougars to take game one of Canada West final (with boxscore)

Quick Summary
Sask: C. Petruic (10:54 1st) , C. Petruic (12:15 2nd) , E. Regnier (18:06 2nd) , C. Petruic (05:04 3rd) , K. Sorensen (17:16 3rd)
MRU: none
Goal: Sask: Meier (33 shots, 33 saves), MRU: Farkas (21 shots, 16 saves)

What a busy day! It started with World Baseball Classic at 4:00 a.m. and went past midnight with rugby from New Zealand. In between there were a total of six international baseball games, two draws of the Brier, and rugby from Ireland and down under. And, of course, game one of the CW final.

Don’t let the score fool you. The Mutts converted their chances, and for the 4th straight game the Bluegars were unable to cash in on their numerous chances. Chance Petruic scored a hat-trick for the Mutts, and Nolan Maier notched a shutout.

In other Bison news, the Bison Broads hockey team lost game 1 of the league final to UBC, by 5-1. They have clinched a berth in the nationals. In men’s volleyball, the Bisons swept UBC 3-0 in a bit of an upset. They play for the conference title and have assured themselves of a berth in the nationals as well.

NEXT UP
Sat Mar 07 Saskatchewan at Mount Royal 7:00 MST/6:00 CST
Sun Mar 08 Saskatchewan at Mount Royal 7:00 MDT/6:00 CDT *if necessary

OUT WEST

Link:
➤ ACAC: Schedule & Results

N.A.I.T. OOKS 3
S.A.I.T. TROJANS 4
(SAIT leads series 1-0)

Link:
➤ ACAC: Boxscore

The auld rivals here in Saudi Alberta. North v South. SAIT is on the ascent this year, foir the first time in a while.

PORTAGE VOYAGEURS 2
RED DEER KINGS 8
(Red Deer leads series 1-0)

Link:
➤ ACAC: Boxscore

Portage cannot like starting series getting whalloped in game 1. Can they turn it around two weeks in a row?

Next Up:
Sat Mar 07 N.A.I.T. at S.A.I.T. 6:00 MST/7:00 CST
Sat Mar 07 Portage College at Red Deer Poly 8:00 MST/9:00 CST
Sun Mar 08 Portage College at Red Deer Poly 5:00 MDT/6:00 CDT *if necessary
Sun Mar 08 N.A.I.T. at S.A.I.T. 7:15 MDT/8:15 CDT *if necessary

Link:
➤ BCIHL Schedule

VICTORIA VIKINGS 2
VANCOUVER ISLAND MARINERS 3
(VIU advance to final, Victoria advance to semi-final)

Link:
➤ BCIHL: Boxscore

The Mariners are the class of the league, however that was the case last year when the Vikes beat them in the final. It looked like this could be a blowout, but VIU could not cash in theior chips and in the end it was close. The shots were 19-5 for VIU in the 1st, then 23-17 over the last two periods.

SIMON FRASER RED LEAFS 1
LOGAN LAKE MINERS 6
(Logan Lake advance to semi-final, Simon Fraser eliminated)

Link:
➤ BCIHL: Boxscore

I did not see any of this one due to overlapping viewing options, and having just four screens available to me. The Miners will be underdogs against the defending champs, but still have a decent shot. They beat UVic twice in five meetings this year,

Next Up:
Sat Mar 07 Game 4 - Victoria vs Logan Lake 3:00 PST/5:00 CST
Sun Mar 08 Game 5 - Vancouver Island vs Winner of Game 4 3:00 PDT/5:00 CDT

[Hollywood]

March 7, 2026: BANJO-MUTTS WIN THE TITLE

MOUNT ROYAL COUGARS 2
SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES 4
(Sask wins series 2-0)

Links:
➤ Summary: Game Centre : CW Boxscore
➤ UofS: Huskies Claim 13th Canada West Title With Series Sweep of MRU Cougars (with boxscore)
➤ Huskie Fan: Huskies sweep Cougars for second straight title
➤ MRU: MHKY: Cougars comeback falls short, Huskies win Canada West championship (with boxscore) : RP @ CW

Quick Summary
Sask: D. Holt (04:38 1st) , C. Stebbings (11:50 1st) , C. Roulette (06:21 2nd) , C. Bertholet (15:29 2nd)
MRU: J. Tarzwell (11:14 3rd) , C. Hanus (12:51 3rd)
Goal: Sask: Meier (30 shots, 28 saves), MRU: Farkas L (14 shots, 10 saves), Buenaventura (7 shots, 7 saves)

Yet another exhausting day of trying to keep as much viewing as possible over four screens. The Banjo-Mutts came out strong and the Bluegars looked overwhelmed. After one period, it was 2-0 for Sask and shots were 10-5. Sask scored two more in the 2nd period, and by the time MRU started to look something like themselves it was all over. As a consolation, they outshot Sask 25-11 over the last two periods and scored twice in the last half of the 3rd period to generate a flattering scoreline.

NEXT UP
Thu Mar 19 or Fri Mar 20 University Cup quarter-finals - schedule TBA

OUT EAST

Link:
➤ OUA: Hockey Tech Playoff Schedule/Results/Links

QUEEN’S GOLDEN GAELS 1
U.Q.T.R. PATRIOTES 2
(Series tied 1-1)

Link:
➤ OUA Hockey Tech: Summary

This looks like it was quite a battle. The Queens have certainly peaked at the right time.

TORONTO METROPOLITAN BOLD 1
WINDSOR LANCERS 3
(Windsor wins series 2-0)

Link:
➤ OUA Hockey Tech: Summary

This, too, was a tight battle all the way through. If I understand correctly, Windsor is assured of hosting the Queen’s Cup (better record than Queen’s, and Quebec teams can’t host it). The Bald will play a one-game playoff next weekend agaonst the loser of UQTR v Queen’s.

Next Up:
Sun Mar 08 Queen’s at U.Q.T.R. 7:00 EDT/6:00 CDT

OUT WEST

Link:
➤ ACAC: Schedule & Results

S.A.I.T. TROJANS 5
N.A.I.T. OOKS 0
(SAIT wins series 2-0)

Link:
➤ ACAC: Boxscore

The Ooks won the shooting contest, 36-25. The first two periods were even (12-12 in thye 1st, and 10-10 in the 2nd). NAIT was determined in the 3rd (14-3 edge in shots), but still could not score.

PORTAGE VOYAGEURS 3
RED DEER KINGS 6
(Red Deer wins series 2-0)

Link:
➤ ACAC: Boxscore

Well, at least Portage got to play in the playoffs for a change. Red Deer has a solid team.

Next Up:
Fri Mar 13 S.A.I.T. at Red Deer Poly - schedule TBA

Link:
➤ BCIHL Schedule

VICTORIA VIKINGS 5
LOGAN LAKE MINERS 2
(Victoria advance to final, Logan Lake eliminated)

Link:
➤ BCIHL: Boxscore

The widely predicted final is going to happen. It’s a rematch of last year, where UVic pulled off an upset over VIU. Could it happen twice in a row?

Next Up:
Sun Mar 08 Game 5 - Final - Vancouver Island vs Victoria 3:00 PDT/5:00 CDT
Reminder: Available for free streaming on BCIHL YouTube Channel.

[Hollywood]

March 8, 2026: OUT-OF-TOWN SCOREBOARD

OUT EAST

Link:
➤ OUA: Hockey Tech Playoff Schedule/Results/Links

QUEEN’S GOLDEN GAELS 1
U.Q.T.R. PATRIOTES 3
(UQTR wins series 2-1)

Link:
➤ OUA Hockey Tech: Summary

The victories here followed the home sides. This, as usual, qualifies UQTR for the U-Cup and a trip to Ontario for the Queen’s Cup. (The game cannot be played outside Ontario.)

Next Up:
Sat Mar 14 U.Q.T.R. at Windsor 2:00 EDT/1:00 CDT
Sat Mar 14 Queen’s at Toronto Metropolitan TBD

Link:
➤ AUS: Playoff Schedule/Results/Links

MONCTON AIGLES BLEUS 4
NEW BRUNSWICK REDS 3
(Moncton leads series 1-0)

Link:
➤ AUS: Boxscore with Game Report

The confrontation of these two provincial rivals will decide who gets a top-three seeding at the U-Cup. The Squirrels outshot them 35-19.

Next up:
Tue Mar 10 New Brunswick at Moncton 7:00 ADT/5:00 CDT
Thu Mar 12 Moncton at New Brunswick 7:00 ADT/5:00 CDT *if necessary

OUT WEST

Link:
➤ BCIHL Schedule

VANCOUVER ISLAND MARINERS 8
VICTORIA VIKINGS 1
(VIU wins tournament final)

Link:
➤ BCIHL: Boxscore

I did not see much of this one but the Mariners were a class above all season, and again in this game. The same could be said of last year, where they happened to lose the final to UVic.

Now we have to sit back and see what happens to the BCIHL next year. It looks like Simon Fraser will be beefed up with a potential player base from two squads available to them. After Selkirk College folded their program, Eastern Washington consolidated two teams into one in the ACHA, and Trinity Western moved to the CW, the league and BC Hockey in general, developed the concept of “independent college transfer teams” to maintain a five-team league. One proposed team, the Fraser Valley Brigade (UFV Cascades and smaller schools), never got off the ground. One other, the Thompson Okanagan Pioneers, was replaced by the Logan Lake Miners (TRU Wolfpack and Kamloops colleges). The other was the Okanagan Lakers (UBCO Heat,Okanagan College, ad Kelowna colleges). The Pac West College League hasn’t operated since 1989. The only other team formerly in the league was the UNBC Timberwolves. They only operated in the BCIHL in 2006.

BCIHL teams announced and scheduled a whole bunch of home exhibition games which were later cancelled. I never heard why. I’ll keep an eye out for something on this for next year.

[Hollywood]

March 10, 2026: OUT-OF-TOWN SCOREBOARD

The CW and BCIHL have finished, the OUA has two games remaining on Saturday, and the ACAC has two weekends of their championship series coming up. That leaves just the AUS.

OUT EAST

Link:
➤ AUS: Playoff Schedule/Results/Links

NEW BRUNSWICK REDS 4
MONCTON AIGLES BLEUS 3
(in overtime)
(Series tied 1-1.)

Link:
➤ AUS: Boxscore with Game Report

This was an even-Steven game, with shots ending 31-31. After back-to-back one-goal games one has to believe that game three is going to be close.

Next up:
Thu Mar 12 Moncton at New Brunswick 7:00 ADT/5:00 CDT

This impacts the seeding for the U-Cup. The three conference winners are seeded 1-2-3 and the OUA runner-up is seeded 4. IMO this year’s seeding is less significant than any other year because there are no awe-inspiring teams you want to avoid. I compare the official U-Sports rankings to the OHT35, and both are notable for the gaps where highly-ranked teams have been eliminated. Each has seen 6 of the top 12 eliminated already. Nine teams are still alive, with the OUA bronze game between Queen’s and TMU eliminating one of those teams.

U-Sports
2 Mount Royal
4 New Brunswick
5 Saskatchewan
6 U.Q.T.R.
8 Windsor
10 Toronto Metropolitan
13 Queen’s
14 Moncton
17 Saint Mary’s

OHT35
3 U.Q.T.R.
4 Mount Royal
6 New Brunswick
7 Saskatchewan
9 Moncton
11 Saint Mary‛s
13 Queen‛s
17 Windsor
19 Toronto Metropolitan

[Hollywood]

March 13, 2026: OUT-OF-TOWN SCOREBOARD

The first Friday night without anything in the CW since September, other than Christmas break. The season is dwindling away.

OUT EAST

Link:
➤ OUA: Hockey Tech Playoff Schedule/Results/Links

Next Up:
Sat Mar 14 U.Q.T.R. at Windsor 2:00 EDT/1:00 CDT
Sat Mar 14 Queen’s at Toronto Metropolitan 4:00 EDT/3:00 CDT

Link:
➤ AUS: Playoff Schedule/Results/Links

MONCTON AIGLES BLEUS 1
NEW BRUNSWICK REDS 4
(New Brunswick wins series 2-1)

Link:
➤ AUS: Boxscore with Game Report

The Eggs scored first, then the Squirrels scored the rest. Kind of like the series, where Moncton started with a win then lost the rest. The shots were 29-17 in favour of UNB. Both sides will be going to the nationals. UNB should be seeded 1st or 2nd, and Moncton 5th or 6th.

Next up:
Thu Mar 19 University Cup Starts (TBA)

OUT WEST

Link:
➤ ACAC: Schedule & Results

S.A.I.T. TROJANS 7
RED DEER KINGS 6
(SAIT leads series 1-0)

Link:
➤ ACAC: Boxscore

This was a wild one. After one period Red Deer led 5-3, but after two SAIT led 6-5. Each team had 33 shots on goal, not so extraordinary for such a big score. This final is a best-of-five series.

Next Up:
Sat Mar 14 Red Deer Poly at S.A.I.T. 7:15 MDT/8:15 CDT
Fri Mar 20 S.A.I.T. at Red Deer Poly 7:00 MDT/8:00 CDT
Sat Mar 21 Red Deer Poly at S.A.I.T. 7:15 MDT/8:15 CDT *if necessary
Sun Mar 22 S.A.I.T. at Red Deer Poly 5:00 MDT/6:00 CDT *if necessary

[Hollywood]

March 14, 2026: OUT-OF-TOWN SCOREBOARD

The OUA wrapped up, and the field, but not the schedule and brackets, for the University Cup is set. All three games across the country on Saturday night went to overtime.

OUT EAST

Link:
➤ OUA: Hockey Tech Playoff Schedule/Results/Links

U.Q.T.R. PATRIOTES 5
WINDSOR LANCERS 4
(in overtime)
(UQTR wins Queen’s Cup)

Link:
➤ OUA Hockey Tech: Summary

UQTR had to play this game away due to the fact that the Queen’s Cup is an OUA trophy and UQTR is a RSEQ team. Even though the three Quebec teams have dominated this trophy in recent years, that seemingly does not bother the administrators from Ontario. It’s odd, I know. But this makes total sense to those people.

By rule, the OUA runner-up has to be seeded 4th in the nationals. Another odd rule that makes sense to those people. I would have UQTR seeded first, but I reckon they’ll be seeded 3rd.

QUEEN’S GOLDEN GAELS 4
TORONTO METROPOLITAN BOLD 3
(in overtime)
(Queen’s wins bronze medal)

Link:
➤ OUA Hockey Tech: Summary

It is not often that a bronze medal game is more consequential than a gold medal game. However, in the OUA, the bronze team gets a berth in the nationals. Other conferences get two berths each, and a final berth goes to the host team (Saint Mary’s this year).

Next up:
Thu Mar 19 University Cup Starts (TBA)

OUT WEST

Link:
➤ ACAC: Schedule & Results

RED DEER KINGS 4
S.A.I.T. TROJANS 5
(in double overtime)
(SAIT leads series 2-0)

Link:
➤ ACAC: Boxscore not posted

This is a best-of-five series which wraps next weekend. SAIT has two tight wins to their credit. Neither team is updating their website during playoffs, so no alternative source for a boxscore.

Next Up:
Fri Mar 20 S.A.I.T. at Red Deer Poly 7:00 MDT/8:00 CDT
Sat Mar 21 Red Deer Poly at S.A.I.T. 7:15 MDT/8:15 CDT *if necessary
Sun Mar 22 S.A.I.T. at Red Deer Poly 5:00 MDT/6:00 CDT *if necessary

[Hollywood]

Preview: March 19-21, 2026: UNIVERSITY CUP & ACAC

The final weekend preview of the year is upon us. All we have left is the 8 teams at the U-Cup, and the two in the ACAC final. Here are the links:

Links:
➤ USports: University Cup Page
➤ USports: Update: Colton Smith named Co-rookie of the Year in Men’s Hockey
➤ USports: National honour caps standout season for Concordia captain Simon Lavigne
➤ USports: Moncton’s Mika Cyr named U SPORTS men’s hockey Player of the Year
➤ USports: Saskatchewan named top dogs in men’s hockey
➤ USports: U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Results
➤ CBC: YouTube Page : CBC Gem : CBC.ca

**MOUNT ROYAL COUGARS (20-6-2, 2-3-0, 26-11-2, OHT35 #4) **
**WINDSOR LANCERS (18-7-3, 4-1-0, 22-12-3, OHT35 #17) **

Links:
➤ CBC: YouTube Livestream
➤ MRU: Players Bench Athlete of the Week: Mar 3 - Mar 9
➤ MRU: MHKY: Cougars return to the national stage at the U SPORTS University Cup
➤ CTV: ‘The biggest stage in Canada’: MRU Cougars have sights set on men’s national hockey title
➤ Windsor: U SPORTS Championship Preview: Men’s Hockey Quarterfinal

After a late season surge got the Bluegars first place in the CW East, they were less than world-beaters in the playoffs. They narrowly beat their crosstown rivals from Bedrock U, then were handled by the Banjo-Mutts in the final. Windsor had a fairly consistent season. The quality of the OUA West is questionable. There were no East-West interlocking games in the OUA this year, until the Queen’s Cup. Windsor had a close loss to UQTR, and TMU had a close loss to Queen’s. So maybe this whole division is under-rated.

**SAINT MARY’S HUSKIES (16-10-4, 0-2-0, 18-13-4, OHT35 #11) **
**SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES (19-7-2, 6-0-0, 31-9-4, OHT35 #7) **

Links:
➤ CBC: YouTube Livestream
➤ UofS: CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: Canada West Champion Huskies Head to Halifax in Pursuit of U-Cup Title
➤ UofS: Conner Roulette Named Clare Drake Award Recipient as U SPORTS Rookie of the Year; Kosior Recognized as All-Canadian
➤ CW: Saskatchewan goaltender Nolan Maier named WHL Grad of the Month
➤ Huskie Fan: University Cup preparations
➤ Huskie Fan: Huskies are top seed for University Cup
➤ Huskie Fan: Roulette named U SPORTS men’s hockey rookie of the year
➤ Huskie Fan: Live Audio
➤ SMU: Host Huskies draw No. 8 seed at U SPORTS Men’s Hockey National Championship
➤ SMU: Reid Valade named U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian

The Huskies v Huskies match-up should prompt the Halifax City Council to shelter all fire hydrants. The SMUskies are in as host, and lost out in the AUS quarter-finals. They are the lowly #8 seed. However, in the OHT35 I had them very close to Sask all season.

**MONCTON AIGLES BLEUS (19-9-2, 4-2-0, 26-13-2, OHT35 #9) **
**U.Q.T.R. PATRIOTES (20-5-3, 5-1-0, 28-7-3, OHT35 #3) **

Links:
➤ CBC: YouTube Livestream
➤ Moncton: The Blue Eagles turn to the U SPORTS National Championship
➤ Moncton: Mika Cyr named U SPORTS Player of the Year in Men’s Hockey
➤ Moncton: Blue Eagles ready to take on challenge at the National Championship in Halifax
➤ UQTR: Team Website

This is a battle of the French. The Eggs appear better than the typical #2 seed from the AUS this year. UQTR is a perennial qualifier.

**QUEEN’S GOLDEN GAELS (14-13-1, 6-2-0, 21-18-2, OHT35 #13) **
**NEW BRUNSWICK REDS (20-9-1, 5-1-0, 30-11-2, OHT35 #6) **

Links:
➤ CBC: YouTube Livestream
➤ Queen’s: Team Website
➤ UNB: REDS No. 2 Seed At U CUP

The other three quarter-finals have a clever moniker, blue v blue, husky v husky, French v French. This one has nothing going for it. Queen’s were a fringe playoff team, only qualifying on the last day of the regular season by beating Nipissing. Then they caught fire, winning the OUA bronze game. The Squirrels are a traditional power, humbled in the early going. But they rallied to finish 1st in the AUS and won 5-of-6 playoff games.

COMPLETE SCHEDULE

Thu Mar 19 Mount Royal v Windsor 1:00 ADT/11:00 CDT
Thu Mar 19 Saint Mary’s v Saskatchewan 7:00 ADT/5:00 CDT
Fri Mar 20 Moncton v UQTR 1:00 ADT/11:00 CDT
Fri Mar 20 Queen’s v New Brunswick 7:00 ADT/5:00 CDT
Sat Mar 21 Thursday Winners 1:00 ADT/11:00 CDT
Sat Mar 21 Friday Winners 7:00 ADT/5:00 CDT
Sun Mar 22 Bronze Game 9:00 am ADT/7:00 am CDT
Sun Mar 22 Gold Game 1:00 ADT/11:00 CDT

OUT WEST

Link:
➤ ACAC: Schedule & Results

This is a best-of-five series, which SAIT leads 2-0.

Next Up:
Fri Mar 20 S.A.I.T. at Red Deer Poly 7:00 MDT/8:00 CDT
Sat Mar 21 Red Deer Poly at S.A.I.T. 7:15 MDT/8:15 CDT *if necessary
Sun Mar 22 S.A.I.T. at Red Deer Poly 5:00 MDT/6:00 CDT *if necessary

[Hollywood]

March 19, 2026: QUARTER-FINALS BEGIN

Tournament Links:
➤ USports: Tournament Main Page
➤ USports: U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Results
➤ CBC: YouTube Page (links to livestreams & replays)

**MOUNT ROYAL COUGARS 3 **
**WINDSOR LANCERS 4 **

Links:
➤ USports: Lancers edge Cougars to advance to University Cup semifinal
➤ USports: Box Score
➤ USports: Summary (PDF)
➤ MRU: MHKY: Cougars’ season comes to an end with loss to Lancers in national quarterfinal (with boxscore)
➤ UofW: Men’s hockey knocks off Cougars in U SPORTS quarterfinal (with boxscore)

Through two periods this game was tied 1-1, and the Bluegars held a 23-11 lead in shots on goal. It seemed that it was just a matter of time before they would break through. However, the Lancers scored two goals 11 seconds apart early in the 3rd. Try as they might, the Bluegars could not overcome the deficit. In the end, they outshot the Lancers 41-20. This game was reminiscent of the semi-final series the Bluegars had with Calgary where they dominated play but were always tight on the scoreboard.

**SAINT MARY’S HUSKIES 4 **
**SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES 3 **
*(in overtime) *

Links:
➤ USports: Saint Mary’s outlasts Saskatchewan in overtime dogfight
➤ USports: Box Score
➤ USports: Summary (PDF)
➤ UofS: Huskies’ Season Comes to a Close With Overtime Loss to Saint Mary’s in U Cup Quarterfinal (with boxscore)
➤ Huskie Fan: Huskies eliminated at University Cup
➤ SMU: Ritchie’s OT winner lifts SMU to semifinal over Saskatchewan in U CUP dogfight : RP @AUS (with boxscore)

The Banjo-Mutts have patented the overtime game at the U-Cup. It seems to happen every year they qualify. Although the Mutts came out strong, the SMUskies gradually took over the play as the 1st period wore on. 15 minutes into the 2nd period, and the SMUskies were up 3-0 and the game looked over. However, the Sask trainers must have found a secret supply of Granny’s moonshine. The Banjo-Mutts rallied and tied the game, and could have even taken the lead. The shot clock tells the tale. The SMUskies were up 22-16 after two periods (after Sask’s late period rally), but in the 3rd the shots were 14-4 for the Banjo-Mutts. The overtime was very much back and forth, and was decided before the 3-on-3 segment would have taken place. The SMUskies have at times been much better than an 8th seed this season. They could slide their way into the championship game, which would certainly boost attendance.

NEXT UP
Fri Mar 20 Moncton v UQTR 1:00 ADT/11:00 CDT
Fri Mar 20 Queen’s v New Brunswick 7:00 ADT/5:00 CDT
Sat Mar 21 Windsor v Saint Mary’s 1:00 ADT/11:00 CDT
Sat Mar 21 Friday Winners 7:00 ADT/5:00 CDT
Sun Mar 22 Bronze Game 9:00 am ADT/7:00 am CDT
Sun Mar 22 Gold Game 1:00 ADT/11:00 CDT

[Hollywood]

March 20, 2026: FINAL FOUR IS SET

Tournament Links:
➤ USports: Tournament Main Page
➤ USports: U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Results
➤ CBC: YouTube Page (links to livestreams & replays)

**MONCTON AIGLES BLEUS 0 **
**U.Q.T.R. PATRIOTES 4 **

Links:
➤ USports: Patriotes blank Aigles Bleus to reach semifinals
➤ USports: Box Score
➤ UdeM: The Blue Eagles season ends at the national championship
➤ UQTR: Team Website

This has to rate as a big disappointment for the Eggs. They challenged for first in the AUS all year only to lay an egg in the nationals. UQTR was toying with them after building an early lead. It was 3-0 after one period.

**QUEEN’S GOLDEN GAELS 2 **
**NEW BRUNSWICK REDS 5 **

Links:
➤ USports: Reds roll past Gaels to book semifinal date with UQTR
➤ USports: Box Score
➤ QU: Gaels fall to UNB Reds in quarterfinals of U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Championship
➤ UNB: REDS Over Gaels In U Cup Quarter-Final : RP @AUS (with boxscore)

This one-sided affair brought to an end a disappointing Friday slate of games. The Squirrels outshot the Gracious Queens 20-7 in the first period, and led 2-0. It could have been worse. You have to give the Stormy Ones credit for not giving up. They did come within 3-2 after 8 minutes of the third period. However, when you get just 7 shots per period, a rally is not particularly likely.

NEXT UP
Sat Mar 21 Windsor v Saint Mary’s 1:00 ADT/11:00 CDT
Sat Mar 21 UQTR v New Brunswick 7:00 ADT/5:00 CDT
Sun Mar 22 Bronze Game 9:00 am ADT/7:00 am CDT
Sun Mar 22 Gold Game 1:00 ADT/11:00 CDT

OUT WEST

Link:
➤ ACAC: Schedule & Results

**S.A.I.T. TROJANS 3 **
**RED DEER KINGS 0 **
*(SAIT wins series 3-0) *

Link:
➤ ACAC: Boxscore

The 2nd place Condoms win the game, and series, 3-0 to claim their first ACAC title since 2014. Since then, ACAC titles have gone in streaks. Red Deer won the last three, MacEwan had a 3-peat before moving to the CW, and NAIT took all the rest.

So this year’s conference champions are:
CWUAA: Saskatchewan Huskies
OUA: U.Q.T.R. Patriotes
AUS: New Brunswick Reds
BCIHL: Vancouver Island Mariners
ACAC: S.A.I.T. Trojans

[Hollywood]

March 21, 2026: MORE BLOW-OUTS IN SEMI-FINAL ROUND

Tournament Links:
➤ USports: Tournament Main Page
➤ USports: U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Results
➤ CBC: YouTube Page (links to livestreams & replays)

**SAINT MARY’S HUSKIES 4 **
**WINDSOR LANCERS 1 **

Links:
➤ USports: Huskies ride fast start past Lancers into University Cup final
➤ USports: Box Score
➤ SMU: Boyd scores twice as Huskies defeat Lancers 4-1 to advance to U CUP Final (with boxscore)
➤ UofW: Lancers fall to host SMU in semifinal (with boxscore)

This followed a familiar, and unfortunate, pattern in this year’s U-Cup. The SMUskies built up a commanding 3-0 first period lead, blanked the second, and then hung on in the third for a fairly comfortable win. Even though down 3-0, the Lancers were outshot 12-5 in a scoreless second period. There was really no feeling on my part that Windsor had a reasonable shot at a comeback. They neve gave up, outshooting SMU 11-4 in the third.

**U.Q.T.R. PATRIOTES 7 **
**NEW BRUNSWICK REDS 4 **

Links:
➤ USports: Patriotes erupt early, down UNB to reach national final
➤ USports: Box Score
➤ UQTR: Team Website
➤ UNB: REDS Fall In U Cup Semi-Final

UQTR built a 4-0 first period lead on NINE (9) shots on goal. It was then 7-2 until mid-third period. A pair of Squirrel goals improved the look of the scoreline. At the end, UNB led on the shot clock 27-23. Not one for goaltenders’ scrap books.

In an oddity, UNB came out in red jerseys as they were designated as “home” team for this game. UQTR wore black, but were forced to change into orange as it is their designated “away” jersey. They do not have white jerseys. So UQTR had to change after warm-ups.

NEXT UP
Sun Mar 22 Bronze Game: Windsor v New Brunswick 9:00 am ADT/7:00 am CDT
Sun Mar 22 Gold Game: Saint Mary’s v U.Q.T.R. 1:00 ADT/11:00 CDT

I doubt that I will be up at 7:00 a.m. to watch that bronze medal game. Oddly, the Jets v Rangers NHL game also starts at 11:00 a.m.

[Hollywood]

March 22, 2026: U-CUP FINAL REQUIRED EXTRA TIME

*Tournament Links:
➤ USports: Tournament Main Page
➤ USports: U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Results
➤ CBC: YouTube Page (links to livestreams & replays) *

BRONZE GAME

**WINDSOR LANCERS 1 **
**NEW BRUNSWICK REDS 5 **

Links:
➤ USports: >
➤ USports: Box Score
➤ UofW: Men’s hockey places fourth at U SPORTS (with boxscore)
➤ UNB: REDS Earn Bronze Medal At U SPORTS Championship (with boxscore) : RP @AUS

I saw just a bit of this one because it was on at 7:00 a.m. CDT. The Squirrels were running away with it by the time I tuned in, so I finished it off on my bedside tablet. The score after one period was 3-0, and the shots were 10-3, both in favour of UNB. Thereafter, they seemed to be happy to make it a low-event affair and coast to a bronze medal. Over the last two periods, the shots were just 12-11 in favour of UNB.

GOLD GAME

**SAINT MARY’S HUSKIES 2 **
**U.Q.T.R. PATRIOTES 3 **
*(in overtime) *

Links:
➤ USports: Patriotes erupt early, down UNB to reach national final
➤ USports: Box Score
➤ SMU: REDS Fall In U Cup Semi-Final (with boxscore) : RP @AUS
➤ UQTR: Team Website

Finally, a close game! This hadn’t happened since the SMUskies beat the Banjo-Mutts on Thursday night. There was no jersey controversy in this one. UQTR showed up in orange, not black, and the SMUskies were in their mostly white with maroon stripes, and impossible to read numbers. I must say, the combination did look good.

UQTR never led the game until they won it in overtime. Twice, the SMUskies scored to take the lead. Twice, UQTR tied it up. The SMUskies had the edge in play, in fact coming dangerously close to winning at the end of regulation time. The shots were 47-33 in favour of SMU, which was in stark contrast to the low-action bronze game.

I admit that I have a problem with a host team winning this when they would not have otherwise qualified. Last year Ottawa won as host, and this year SMU was knocked out in the AUS quarter-finals by UPEI.

NEWS AROUND THE CW

Post-elimination, most teams had a new link or two from their websites. I previously updated the Bisons, and the Bluegars and Banjo-Mutts had U-Cup news. Alberta and Holy Trinity have nothing new. Here’s the rest:

Links:
➤ UofC: Dinos’ Kydd, goaltenders earn Canada West major awards
➤ UofC: Captain Kydd signs first pro deal with Cincinnati Cyclones
➤ UofC: Kydd concludes Dinos career with U SPORTS All-Canadian honours

In the Town of Bedrock, post-season stories have continued to roll out. Captain Kydd, like Captain Hooker, signed a pro deal and scored in the ECHL. They also summarized all the award-winners:

Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy (Player of the Year): Mika Cyr, Moncton
Clare Drake Award (Rookie of the Year): Conner Roulette, Saskatchewan
Defenceman of the Year: Simon Lavigne, Concordia
Goaltender of the Year: Thomas Couture, Acadia
Dr. Randy Gregg Award (Student-athlete Community Service): Blake Gustafson, Alberta
R.W. Pugh Fair Play Award (Most Sportsmanlike Player): Conor Frenette, UQTR
FOX 40 Coach of the Year: Derek Cormier, Moncton

First Team All-Canadians
F Sasha Mutala UBC
F Nolan Dann Guelph
F Mika Cyr Moncton
D Jake Lee UBC
D Simon Lavigne Concordia
G Thomas Couture Acadia

Second Team All-Canadians
F Reid Valade Saint Mary’s
F Conor Frenette UQTR
F Adam Kydd Calgary
D Charlie Callaghan StFX
D Landon Kosior Saskatchewan
G Max Donoso Windsor

All-Rookie Team
F Jeremy D’Astous Moncton
F Colton Smith Windsor
F Conner Roulette Saskatchewan
D Luca D’Amato UNB
D Jace Weir UBC
G Andrew Ness Laurier

Links:
➤ MacU: Three Stars: Shimoda, Jean Jr., Inglis earn honours
➤ MacU: Dowhaniuk first Griffins MHKY player recognized by Canada West with spot on all-rookie team

I think that The Family Guys had a men’s hockey player awarded a Three Stars honour every week this year.

Links:
➤ UofR: Cougars open 2026-27 recruiting class with three commitments
➤ UofR: Niverville’s Merik Boles commits to men’s hockey
➤ UofR: Kurt Rookes commits to Cougars

The Banjo-Cats graduated almost half of their roster, and that includes most of their best players. So from that angle, it is good to see a host of announcements from them.

Noah Asmundson (F) - Estevan Bruins (SJHL)
Riley Fequet (F) - Winkler Flyers/Swan Valley Stampeders (MJHL)
Rylan Pearce (D) - Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL)/Regina Pats (WHL)
Merik Boles (F) - Niverville Nighthawks (MJHL)
Kurt Rookes (F/D) - Waywayseecappo Wolverines (MJHL)

Rookes also had some prior time with Wenatchee and Swift Current of the WHL, and Asmundson had prior time with Niverville in the MJHL. So 4-out-of-5 have some MJHL history.

Links:
➤ UBC: Sasha Mutala wins CW Player of the Year, Lee, Mirwald and Butenschon all honoured with major awards

After having the best season of anybody, the T-irds fell apart against Sask in the CW semi-finals, thus not even getting an appearance an the U-Cup. The linked story gives a lot of background on each of their CW and USports acknowledgements.